diff --git a/C4/VirtualShelves.pm b/C4/VirtualShelves.pm
index e44f1f2206..70dc965755 100644
--- a/C4/VirtualShelves.pm
+++ b/C4/VirtualShelves.pm
@@ -334,6 +334,7 @@ sub AddShelf {
         $hashref->{allow_add}//0,
         $hashref->{allow_delete_own}//1,
         $hashref->{allow_delete_other}//0 );
+    return if $sth->err;
     my $shelfnumber = $dbh->{'mysql_insertid'};
     return $shelfnumber;
 }
diff --git a/C4/VirtualShelves/Page.pm b/C4/VirtualShelves/Page.pm
index 609dcca48b..559bb1557f 100644
--- a/C4/VirtualShelves/Page.pm
+++ b/C4/VirtualShelves/Page.pm
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ sub shelfpage {
         #Add a shelf
             if ( my $newshelf = $query->param('addshelf') ) {
 
-                # note: a user can always add a new shelf
+                # note: a user can always add a new shelf (except kohaadmin)
                 my $shelfnumber = AddShelf( {
                     shelfname => $newshelf,
                     sortfield => $query->param('sortfield'),
@@ -348,7 +348,9 @@ sub shelfpage {
                     },
                     $query->param('owner') );
                 $stay = 1;
-                if ( $shelfnumber == -1 ) {    #shelf already exists.
+                if( !$shelfnumber ) {
+                    push @paramsloop, { addshelf_failed => 1 };
+                } elsif ( $shelfnumber == -1 ) {    #shelf already exists.
                     $showadd = 1;
                     push @paramsloop, { already => $newshelf };
                     $template->param( shelfnumber => $shelfnumber );
diff --git a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/modules/virtualshelves/shelves.tt b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/modules/virtualshelves/shelves.tt
index 4d2ffee185..453f108ba9 100644
--- a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/modules/virtualshelves/shelves.tt
+++ b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/modules/virtualshelves/shelves.tt
@@ -228,6 +228,7 @@ function placeHold () {
 <div class="yui-ge">
     <div class="yui-u first">
         [% IF ( paramsloo.already ) %]<div class="dialog alert">A List named [% paramsloo.already %] already exists!</div>[% END %]
+        [% IF ( paramsloo.addshelf_failed ) %]<div class="dialog alert">List could not be created. [% IF loggedinuser==0 %](Do not use the database administrator account.)[% END %]</div>[% END %]
 		[% IF ( paramsloo.status ) %]<div class="dialog alert">[% paramsloo.string %]</div>[% END %]
 		[% IF ( paramsloo.nobarcode ) %]<div class="dialog alert">ERROR: No barcode given.</div>[% END %] 
         [% IF ( paramsloo.noshelfnumber ) %]<div class="dialog alert">ERROR: No list number given.</div>[% END %]
diff --git a/koha-tmpl/opac-tmpl/bootstrap/en/modules/opac-shelves.tt b/koha-tmpl/opac-tmpl/bootstrap/en/modules/opac-shelves.tt
index 8f2e1e2279..87223bb0cd 100644
--- a/koha-tmpl/opac-tmpl/bootstrap/en/modules/opac-shelves.tt
+++ b/koha-tmpl/opac-tmpl/bootstrap/en/modules/opac-shelves.tt
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@
                     [% IF ( paramsloop ) %]
                         [% FOREACH paramsloo IN paramsloop %]
                             [% IF ( paramsloo.already ) %]<div class="alert">A list named <b>[% paramsloo.already %]</b> already exists!</div>[% END %]
+                            [% IF ( paramsloo.addshelf_failed ) %]<div class="dialog alert">List could not be created. [% IF loggedinuser==0 %](Do not use the database administrator account.)[% END %]</div>[% END %]
                             [% IF ( paramsloo.status ) %]<div class="alert">[% paramsloo.string %]</div>[% END %]
                             [% IF ( paramsloo.nobarcode ) %]<div class="alert">ERROR: No barcode given.</div>[% END %]
                             [% IF ( paramsloo.noshelfnumber ) %]<div class="alert">ERROR: No shelfnumber given.</div>[% END %]
diff --git a/koha-tmpl/opac-tmpl/prog/en/modules/opac-shelves.tt b/koha-tmpl/opac-tmpl/prog/en/modules/opac-shelves.tt
index bb9b366e5c..359d81a65a 100644
--- a/koha-tmpl/opac-tmpl/prog/en/modules/opac-shelves.tt
+++ b/koha-tmpl/opac-tmpl/prog/en/modules/opac-shelves.tt
@@ -261,6 +261,7 @@ $(document).ready(function() {
                 <div class="yui-ge">
                   <div class="yui-u first">
                     [% IF ( paramsloo.already ) %]<div class="dialog alert">A list named <b>[% paramsloo.already %]</b> already exists!</div>[% END %]
+                    [% IF ( paramsloo.addshelf_failed ) %]<div class="dialog alert">List could not be created. [% IF loggedinuser==0 %](Do not use the database administrator account.)[% END %]</div>[% END %]
                     [% IF ( paramsloo.status ) %]<div class="dialog alert">[% paramsloo.string %]</div>[% END %]
                     [% IF ( paramsloo.nobarcode ) %]<div class="dialog alert">ERROR: No barcode given.</div>[% END %]
                     [% IF ( paramsloo.noshelfnumber ) %]<div class="dialog alert">ERROR: No shelfnumber given.</div>[% END %]